Lifeline (Bodyguard!Tom Holland)

Lifeline (1)

Warnings: violence, homophobic characters, cursing, panic attacks

A/N: All names, associations, and events in this story are fictional and from my own mind. If you don't agree with a view of a character or group, remember this is fiction and in no way reflects my own views or the views of anyone I know.

"Can you call my lifeline? 'Cause I give up."

"In recent news, Senator James Y/L/N is still in the hospital following the shooting at the Washington D.C. Pride Parade last Saturday where he and four other people were shot, leaving two dead.

The shooter, who was caught in the hours following the attack, has been identified as Daniel Boward, a 26-year-old member of the radical republican group RFWC. The group has been very vocal in the past about their intolerance towards LGBTQ+ individuals and this is the first act of terrorism that has been connected with them.

More to come tonight on DC News at 5."

The sound of the news cast was faded in the background of the waiting room at Sibley Memorial Hospital as Y/N sat there, thumbing through her notes for her makeup exam. She looked up at the clock every few seconds, hoping that the minute hand would reach the 6 faster than it was, but she was disappointed every time and she felt like time was crawling jut to spite her.

Her father was in another surgery, the fourth in the past week since the attack. He would survive, according to the doctors, but every time he went under the knife, Y/N was a wreck. As much as she hated his profession, her father was the only person she had left that mattered to her.

Laura was in and out of the hospital all week with Fletcher, Y/N's little brother. She hadn't told Laura about the note she found by her door and she didn't plan on it. Not like she'd care anyway. She'd probably think of some way to blame Y/N for the attack too. When her father was feeling better, she'd tell him about the note, but for now, he needed to focus on getting better and she could take care of herself by staying in public areas and away from her dorm.

"You're next."

The phrase made her jump, dropping her binder on the floor of the waiting room with a loud bang and earning concerned looks from almost everyone in the room. They all knew who she was and what had happened, at least, they knew part of it, so the conclusion that she was losing her marbles in this hospital was probably what they were all thinking.

She could hear her heartbeat in her ears as she looked around the room to discern where the voice came from. She zeroed in on the voice again and it was speaking rather quietly in the corner of the room.

The voice came from the news cast, a commercial advertising for weight loss supplements to be precise.

"You're next! You can look like me!" A petite barbie-esque woman spoke. Y/N felt her heart beat against her chest begin to slow and her hair stood on end and she had to get some air before another person asked her if she was okay. She had heard enough of that phrase to last a lifetime over the last week.

She left her books and things inside as she almost sprinted out of the building, the fresh air and sunlight a welcomed change since her body was so used to stuffy hospital air and white lights.

The breeze blew her hair to the side and her t-shirt rippled, but she barely noticed as she focused on getting her breathing under control. She looked out towards the road, seeing the American flag in the front of the hospital hung at half mast. Reminders of what happened were everywhere and she felt surrounded, claustrophobic. She watched cars pass and wished she could just drive as far and as fast as she could, but she couldn't bring herself to leave her responsibilities behind.